Microbiology and clinical characteristics of acute cholangitis with their impact on mortality; a retrospective cross sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate microbiological and clinical characteristics of acute cholangitis along with their impact on mortality, and to compare the role of early versus late biliary drainage in the management of cholangitis. METHODS: The retrospective study was conducted at the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan, and comprised records of all patients presenting with acute cholangitis from June, 2012, to June, 2017. The risk factors, presence of bacteremia, resistance pattern of microbial pathogens and severity were assessed according to Tokyo guidelines in addition to associated mortality and recurrence at 3 months. Data was analysed using SPSS 20. RESULTS: Of the 230 patients, 137(59.6%) were male. The overall mean age was 56±13 years. The most common isolated organism was Escherichia coli 54(70.1%). Clinical severity (p=0.001), late biliary drainage (p=0.001) and use of multiple stents (p=0.03) were associated with increased mortality. However, in multivariable analysis, only high body mass index (p=0.01) and Tokyo severity grades II (p=0.04) and III (p=0.001) were significant factors associated with mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Early identification of risk factors, administration of appropriate antibiotics and establishing early biliary drainage were found to be the key management steps to reduce cholangitis-related mortality.

Control of Oesophageal Tumour-related Bleeding with a Fully Covered Self-expandable Metallic Stent (SEMS) Insertion.

The role of metallic stents in the management of refractory variceal bleeding is now well established however, they have been rarely used in the treatment of malignant gastrointestinal (GI) tract bleeding. To our knowledge, there are only three case reports in this regard, where fully covered self-expandable metallic stents (SEMS) were placed for the treatment of bleeding duodenal tumours. We have shared an experience of a novel and successful treatment of the oesophageal tumour-related bleeding with a fully covered SEMS. The 49-year male with oesophageal cancer presented with haematemesis and had received neo-adjuvant chemotherapy 3 weeks back. Upper GI endoscopy revealed an obstructing distal oesophageal tumour with the diffuse oozing of blood. While injection of adrenaline over a large ulcerated surface area was not possible, an attempt to treat it with hemospray was also unsuccessful. Thus, a temporary fully covered SEMS was inserted across the tumour to create a tamponade effect which resulted in the immediate cessation of the bleeding. This was endoscopically removed after a week and there was no further bleeding in one-month follow-up. Key Words: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding, Metallic stent, Oesophageal cancer.

A Case of Esophageal Squamous Papilloma: An Unusual Cause of Dysphagia and Hematemesis in a Patient with Concurrent Malignancies.

Introduction: The esophageal squamous papilloma (ESP) is a rare cause of dysphagia and hematemesis. The malignant potential of this lesion is uncertain; however, the malignant transformation and concurrent malignancies have been reported in the literature. Case Description: We report a case of esophageal squamous papilloma in a 43 years old female who had a background diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer and liposarcoma of the left knee. She presented with dysphagia. Upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy showed a polypoid growth, and its biopsy confirmed the diagnosis. Meanwhile, she presented again with hematemesis. A repeat endoscopy showed that the previously seen lesion had likely broken off, leaving behind a residual stalk. This was snared and removed. The patient remained asymptomatic, and a follow-up upper GI endoscopy at six months did not show any recurrence. Practical Implications: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of ESP in a patient with two concurrent malignancies. Moreover, the diagnosis of ESP should also be considered when presenting with dysphagia or hematemesis.

Glucagonoma Syndrome: A Rare Paraneoplastic Disorder due to Neuroendocrine Tumor of the Pancreas.

Glucagonoma syndrome is an extremely rare paraneoplastic disorder. The key presenting feature is a rash (necrolytic migratory erythema) which can easily be misdiagnosed as a primary skin disorder. Moreover, 50 to 80 % of patients already have metastatic disease at diagnosis. We report a case of a 38-year female presenting with epigastric pain and a skin rash all over the body. Workup revealed a neuroendocrine tumor (NET) of the pancreas, for which she underwent resection, resulting in a complete cure. A follow-up MRI after 8 months showed a hyperintense and arterially enhancing nodular liver lesion which did not show any uptake on the octreotide scan. However, a subsequent biopsy revealed a recurrence of the tumor. This was a unique finding in our case where a highly sensitive octreotide scan failed to identify metastasis, emphasising the importance of biopsy in such cases. Key Words: Glucagonoma, Necrolytic migratory erythema, Alpha-cell adenom.

Gastric Lymphoma: Severe Gastric Outlet Obstruction Warranting Stent Placement.

Primary gastric lymphoma is an uncommon entity accounting for <5% of primary gastric neoplasms and 10-15% of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas. It may present with nonspecific symptoms or features of gastric outlet obstruction (GOO). GOO can develop prior to or during treatment due to disease or post-treatment scarring. The obstruction can be both intrinsic or extrinsic. Endoscopic balloon dilatation and surgical gastrojejunostomy have been tried with variable success. Gastroduodenal stenting with self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) has been used lately with excellent results but mainly in the palliative management of gastric carcinoma with GOO or in benign GOO. We present a case of gastric diffuse large B cell lymphoma on RCHOP chemotherapy who developed severe GOO leading to profound metabolic alkalosis and electrolyte imbalances, ultimately warranting an enteral stent. Key Words: Primary gastric lymphoma, Gastric outlet obstruction, Diffuse large B cell lymphoma, Enteral stent.

Salvage therapy of bleeding esophageal tumor by fully covered self-expandable metallic stent: A case report.

The role of self-expandable metallic stents is gradually evolving for a diverse group of benign and malignant gastrointestinal tract problems, with luminal obstruction being by far the most common. Although its role in refractory variceal bleeding is well established, it has rarely been tried for tumor-related bleeding, with only a few case reports in this regard. We share our experience of successfully controlling esophageal tumor-related bleeding with the use of a fully covered self-expandable metallic stent. A 58-year-old woman with irresectable distal esophageal cancer, presented with hematemesis. Esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy revealed an obstructing esophageal tumor with diffuse oozing of blood. This was unamenable to local injection of adrenaline and hemospray; therefore, a temporary self-expandable metallic stent was parked to create a tamponade effect. This successfully stopped bleeding and the patient remained asymptomatic till discharge. However, she was lost to follow-up, and therefore, the stent was removed after a period of 5 months instead of 2 weeks.

Pyloric stent insertion in malignant gastric outlet obstruction: moving beyond palliation.

BACKGROUND: Self-expandable metallic stents have not only largely replaced surgical gastrojejunostomy for unresectable gastric cancers, but their role as bridging therapy for resectable obstructing tumours is also evolving. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of pyloric stents in gastric outlet obstruction in patients with gastric cancer and assess survival in patients with resectable obstructing gastric tumours in whom stents were inserted as a bridge to surgery. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of patients who underwent self-expandable metallic stent insertion for gastric outlet obstruction due to gastric cancer from January 2014 to March 2019. RESULTS: Out of 161 patients, clinical improvement was observed in 159 (99%) and 156 (97%) at 1 and 12 weeks of stent placement, respectively. None of these patients experienced serious complications, such as perforation or aspiration pneumonia. Of these 161 patients, enteral stents were placed as bridging therapy prior to surgery in 40 (24.8%). Among these, 35 (87.5%) of 40 underwent neo-adjuvant chemotherapy followed by curative surgery. Of the 35 patients, 3 failed to follow-up. One-year survival following curative surgery was 87.5%. Stent helped to reduce vomiting and improve nutrition, measured by the body mass index (p = 0.36) and serum albumin (p = 0.05), over a 4-week period following stent insertion. CONCLUSION: Pyloric stents are useful in relieving malignant gastric outlet obstruction, maintaining nutrition during neo-adjuvant treatment and improving survival without additional risk of postoperative complications. They have traditionally been used for palliation, but should also be considered as bridging therapy for obstructing resectable gastric tumours during neo-adjuvant treatment.